Jeremy Gallen's Game Reviews

The R Files

Nintendo and Game Freak’s Pokémon series, since its inception during the mid-1990s, would become a worldwide phenomenon and receive countless spinoffs on many of the Big N’s video game consoles. Development on one of these for the Nintendo 3DS, Detective Pikachu, began in mid-2013 by Japanese developer Creatures Inc., with initial details such as a blue version of the franchise’s mascot Pikachu appearing. Obviously, the developer would drop the concept of an azure version of Pikachu, with the final game released worldwide in March 2018, being an adventure title with minimal RPG elements as fans of the main series are used to.

The game opens with the eponymous character encountering Tim Goodman, who can understand what he’s saying. After retrieving a stolen necklace, they visit the Baker Detective Agency, whose employees were close to Tim’s father, Harry, who disappeared after a car crash when Pikachu got amnesia. The narrative progresses to Tim and Pikachu needing to prevent the widespread release of a chemical known as R that makes Pokémon berserk. The story is told well and has consistent pacing, but tropes like amnesia and an absentee father are present. The translation doesn’t detract from the experience, aside from Nintendo of America’s annoying use of “OK” instead of “okay” and overuse of ellipses.

The gameplay of Detective Pikachu is straightforward and chapter-based, where the player must gather testimony and clues from various nonplayer characters and review them to solve mysteries and advance the storyline. Should the player get stuck, they can get a hint on how to proceed, and I could complete the game without referencing the internet. Some moments come when the player must time button presses to perform different actions or mash a button to tug or push something. There arises a minor issue with repeated unskippable dialogues from Pikachu if the player mismatches icons when poring over clues, not to mention a lack of manual saving and quitting (though transitioning between areas does auto-save), but otherwise, the gameplay is enjoyable.

The soundtrack is enjoyable, with myriad tracks that fit the disposition of the game, but there are a few silent moments. Most scenes have voice acting as well, with the highlight being Pikachu’s Danny DeVito-esque voice, the other performances shining also.

The visuals are polished, with three-dimensional characters and Pokémon models having good animation, lip movement, and expressions; the scenery and colors are also believable. Aside from minor issues with jaggies and collision detection, not to mention the lack of use of the 3DS’s 3-D capabilities, the game is graphically pleasant.

Finally, the spinoff is short, taking twelve to sixteen hours to complete, with little side content aside from completing the in-game compendia, no narrative variations, and no in-game achievements, but players can replay whichever chapters they wish.

Overall, Detective Pikachu is a successful Pokémon spinoff that evokes the atmospheric feel of the mainline games. However, fans of the main titles might not appreciate the simplistic gameplay mechanics. The story has derivative elements like amnesia and an absentee parent, yet is told well, with the titular Pokémon being endearing, his voice being the high point among universally solid vocal performances. The visuals also do the game justice, but the lack of 3-D is disappointing, and the typical impurities of three-dimensional graphics abound. Its lasting appeal is further lacking, although the ultimate product is an accessible game that warrants at least a look if nothing more.

This review is based on a playthrough of a digital copy downloaded to the reviewer's New Nintendo 3DS.